Cape Town observed Eco Trail 2026 on the occasion of World Environmental Education Day and took learners on a waste-wise journey. The event kicked off with a bang on Saturday, Feb 14, 2026 at Parkwood Primary School.
About 90 kids from two schools attended an informative exhibition which was hosted by the Urban Waste Management Directorate of the City of Cape Town and the key waste management stakeholders.
Eco Trail was an exciting event It was an activity packed day where Grade-6 & 7 learners were able to see the realities of waste management in Cape Town and engage with some of the city partners who are making a difference in the way waste is handled. Learners from the Parkwood Primary School and Kannemeyer Primary School participated in the event.
Further the exhibition aimed to build on World Environmental Education Day, which is observed annually on January 26, 2026. By this it empowered young environmental champions to become Eco Warriors.
Through a structured, interactive trail experience, learners were brought into conversations around critical issues, including solid waste, ocean and wildlife conservation, aquatic species protection, and natural resources. Given the pressing challenge of waste creation in Cape Town, the event provided a platform to inspire actionable change and foster environmental stewardship among the youth.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Urban Waste Management – Alderman Grant Twigg stated that Waste Management needs to be a topic, that the young people should engage with more meaningful and more often. The future depends on buy-in from the youth to see the challenges facing the city and the planet, when it comes to the way they consume and create waste.
Twigg said that it encourages the youth to action change on a small scale or create big solutions for these big problems. Aim of the World Environment Education Day is to bring awareness of the waste plight and encourage people to reflect and change.
Notably, the Eco Trail initiative builds on that to ensure they continue that momentum throughout the year. They need to change the way they create waste together.